At just 29, Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr – better known as Stormzy – is arguably Britain’s finest musician. Which is all well and good, except this isn’t the NME. This is Men’s Health, and we’re here to talk about fitness.
Luckily, it just so happens that in Stormzy’s case, extraordinary fitness and incredible chart success go hand-in-hand. As TJ Ossai, nine times World Masters champion sprinter, and founder of Be Fit Today explains.
‘I represented GB at track and field and got a World Championship and some European gold medals,’ Ossai begins. ‘Off the back of that, I met Stromzy through a training partner of mine, Olympian Jeanette Kwakye. It was 2016 and he was just emerging on the scene at that point. He told me he wanted to be the best, and to perform like Beyonce. He said, “Look, how she can dance, run around, jump and still sing.”’
Stormzy may have been a young upstart at this point, but with his background in recognising athletes, Ossai knew he was on to a winner. ‘I listened to him,’ Ossai continues. ‘He was a young young kid but I liked his approach and his ambition.’
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The Warm-Up Act
‘You might think a musician doesn’t need to be in shape for his job, but he really does – you can see that in his performances,’ Ossai explains of the brief when it came to starting training. ‘It’s a high-energy act, and he thrives on that energy, that vibe that is reciprocated by the audience.’
‘You try and do that for 20 minutes,’ Ossai warns of Stormzy’s lively act. With some shows nearing an hour (and a Glastonbury headline slot of 90 minutes) Stormzy needed to be as fit as possible.
Unlike a footballer who might have to perform once or twice a week, Stormzy was pushing it to the max nearly every night in a row. Sometimes, his schedule required up to 334 shows back to back – in different countries, no less – and each one needed to be as energetic and fresh as the first one.
‘He needed to be just as fresh on the fourth day as he was on the first day,’ Ossai explains, adding that he would often travel to train him on tour. ‘I trained him like an athlete with weights, sprinting, long and short runs and jumping.’
Ossai says Stormzy wanted to ‘look the part’ too, so hypertrophy played a role in helping him add size to his tall but originally quite slight frame. ‘He just wanted to be the best version of himself,’ Ossai explains. ‘We started at the bottom, and kept building him up and building him up.’
The Stage Show
While some musicians might sack off the gym after a late night in the studio, Ossai says Stormzy is a model student. ‘He’s a go-getter, very driven and goal orientated.’
Working through macro and micro cycles (e.g. building up to a big tour or concert, or entering a maintenance phase of downtime), Ossai ensured the programme was always teaching something fresh. Along the way, he’d let Stormzy know the plan, factoring tests a week after introducing a new movement. ‘He needs to know “What’s the target? What are we aiming to get?”’ Ossai explains, adding that often Stormzy self-motivates and train himself, working towards – and smashing – targets.
Sometimes, sessions would branch out to five days a week. In the downtime, this might be trimmed back to two or three days together in the gym, with Stormzy pushing himself through his own extra workouts at home. For Glastonbury, the pair spent 12 weeks varying between long runs to bike work to heavy lifting.
‘He became an athlete,’ Ossai says. ‘He’s very easy to work with. But when we’re training, we’re training. There’s no disturbing him, we just get down to it. And he’s a grafter. He’s an animal in the gym. If there’s a workout he hates, he hides it very well. Sometimes I’ll give him options. He never picks the easier one, he lets me decide which is best. He has a winner’s mindset.’
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The Workout
Staying fit when you’re away from the gym and your usual routine does require a winner’s mindset. One of Stormzy’s favourite routines is the ab-burner below which he can complete in his hotel room or backstage.
‘It’s his favourite routine because when we first started he couldn’t do it,’ Ossai says. ‘He struggled, but now he’s conquered it. It’s a high-level routine, and most people can’t do it. Now when he comes to our workout he’s already done it at home.’
Think you can handle the challenge? Try three sets of Ossai’s ‘Be Fit Core 5’ routine below, with ten reps of each exercise and one minute’s rest between sets.
V Sit-ups
Starting from your back, you’re going to lift your feet and hands towards the middle simultaneously, keeping legs and arms straight. Control the movement, and if you can touch your toes, you’re a champion.
Aleknas
Lie on your back. With your arms straight and a bend in your knees, bring your hands and knees up to the middle, then lower back down, keeping a good rhythm.
Knee Raises
Lie on the floor with your hands tucked under your bum. Straighten your legs, then bring your knees up to your chest, keeping your body pressed into the mat.
Sky Touches
Lie on your back in the same position as the Aleknas. Instead of moving your legs, you’re going to keep them where they are. You’re going to reach towards the ceiling with the tips of your fingers in an up-and-down motion (so the top of your back comes off the mat, and your core is on fire).
Russian Twists
Sit with your back straight and a slight bend in your knees. Holding a 10kg weight you’re going to twist from side to side, extending as far as you comfortably can. Aim for 10 each side.
